Land anchor

Abstract

A land anchor is disclosed for pulling an immobilized vehicle out of the mud or snow. The land anchor includes a pull bar which is reversibly connectable or linkable to a bucket by passing the pull bar through a slot in the bucket. The bucket portion of the anchor includes a blade which can be driven into the ground and then removed from the ground once the vehicle has been freed. A connecting end of the pull bar engages the bucket and prevents the pull bar from passing completely through the slot, and can include lateral wings for added strength. The land anchor can be positioned, anchored, and operated by a single person with assistance from a winch and cable assembly to move the immobilized vehicle to a solid area of ground.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A land anchor for extracting an immobilized vehicle, the land anchor comprising:
 a) a bucket including:
 i) a top wall, the top wall including an internal wall connected thereto, and a slot framed by the internal wall; and 
 ii) an extending blade for penetrating the ground, wherein the top wall is manufactured at an acute angle with the blade; and 
 
 b) a wedge-shaped pull bar including:
 i) a tapered free end for passing through the slot in the bucket, wherein the slot receives the free end of the pull bar at the juncture of the top wall and the extending blade and wherein the free end includes a hole for attaching to a winch cable mounted to the immobilized vehicle; and 
 ii) a thick connecting end for reversibly linking the pull bar to the bucket, wherein the pull bar is pulled through the slot so that the connecting end becomes wedged within the slot. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The land anchor of  claim 1 , the bucket further including two side walls for preventing soil from passing through the bucket. 
     
     
       3. The land anchor of  claim 1 , wherein the acute angle is 45 degrees. 
     
     
       4. The land anchor of  claim 1 , wherein a carabiner is connected to the hole for attaching to the winch cable. 
     
     
       5. The land anchor of  claim 1 , wherein the connecting end of the pull bar includes a pair of lateral wings for aiding in preventing the pull bar from passing completely through the slot. 
     
     
       6. The land anchor of  claim 1 , wherein the pull bar is between about eight inches and twelve inches long from the free end to the connecting end, and wherein the connecting end is about a third of an inch thick, the free end is about a quarter of an inch thick, and the height of the slot is less than a third of an inch and more than a quarter of an inch. 
     
     
       7. The land anchor of  claim 1 , wherein the blade, the top wall, and the internal wall are between an eighth of an inch and a quarter of an inch thick. 
     
     
       8. A land anchor for extracting an immobilized vehicle, the land anchor comprising:
 a) a bucket, the bucket including the combination of:
 i) a top wall, the top wall including:
 1) an internal wall connected to the top wall; and 
 2) a slot framed by the internal wall; 
 
 ii) an extending blade for penetrating the ground, wherein the top wall is manufactured at an acute angle with the blade; 
 iii) side walls for preventing soil from passing through the bucket; and 
 
 b) a wedge-shaped pull bar including:
 i) a tapered free end for passing through the slot, wherein the slot receives the free end of the pull bar at the juncture of the top wall and the extending blade; and 
 ii) a thick connecting end for reversibly linking the pull bar to the bucket, wherein the pull bar is pulled through the slot so that the connecting end becomes wedged within the slot.